We are fast approaching the ten-year anniversary of this forum, on May 20th.
I started the forum in 2004 before I even had an R-9, and very few people actually had one. Many of the early adopters joined the forum and we hung on every word… We were a small group very passionate about our unique little pistols.
Being a rule follower, I contacted Rohrbaugh Firearms before taking the website pubic to see if they had an objection to me starting a forum using their name. They weren’t quite sure at first, but consented. I eventually went up and met everyone at the factory (in Farmingdale) and then spent time with them every year at the SHOT Show. I got to know Karl and Eric and we became good friends.
As a result, the forum had an “inside” connection, and was usually the first place for new Rohrbaugh information. Even though Eric could not participate directly in the forum (for legal reasons), he often provided insights and answers to the forum through me.
I used to be an active participant in a lot of firearms forums -- KTOG, Glock Talk, the Firing Line, the High Road, the S&W Forum, and others. But ultimately I got burned out on all those places. The level of discourse was unimpressive after a while, and more often than not every post turned into a name-calling dispute over something.
Over time I realized the Rohrbaugh Forum was not like that. The discussions were intelligent. People were very helpful and polite. Before long we had a really nice community of like-minded shooters who appreciated our unique “pups.”
Aside from the very occasional troll, the forum required very little moderation. (As of today, I have banned 3 people and deleted only a handful of posts.) Over the years, I met and got to know a number of great people that I consider friends.
However, I feel as though an era is coming to an end. The R-9 has matured as a product, and most of the hard work on our end has been done. The change in ownership of Rohrbaugh Firearms means significant changes are coming. I suspect the new owner is going to produce lots more guns and changes are inevitable. In essence, I think the R-9 is going to fork into a “post-New York” product line that will be, to a greater or lesser degree, different.
Going forward, I suspect my connection to the factory will be no different than anyone else. Even with Karl and Eric there, I know that communication and answers will be more limited. Obviously the new owners like to control the flow of information--as big companies tend to do.
My point is this -- it will be a new day. The name may be the same, and the guns may look the same, but it will be different.
For that reason, I am thinking it may be a good time to draw this forum to a close. Shutting down after a decade, to coincide with this transition, will provide a good bookend to the noble experiment we have been conducting together.
My thinking in this regard is not a direct result of some of the recent unpleasantness on the forum. However, it has reminded me of what gun forums tend to be like outside of our isolated little world. As the R-9 becomes more mainstream, and sells in larger numbers, this type of change in the forum’s environment seems inevitable.
However, I know that I am not in this alone. The forum is a product of a lot of contributors over the years. So, I thought I would at least solicit your input while I weigh this decision. Feel free to reply here with your thoughts, or send me a PM if you would prefer.
Thanks to everyone in advance. And please, let’s keep this thread on topic.
DDGator (Duane)
